Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-03-17

has just Returned from the Pacific slope;
Mss Billiard; Rev. S. B. Halliday and
wife; Bella, the Scotch nurse, and several
other friends.
DIR. Searle noticed change in his pa
TENTS condition at 3: 80 a. m. and summoned
all in the house to the bedside, momenta-
rily expecting his death, but he fingered
much longer than had been anticipated. He
passed away gradually, almost impercepti-
bly,, drawing his last breath without appar-
ent suffering or return to consciousness in
any degree. Mrs. Beecher bore up wonder
fully and with marvellous courage.
BIOGRAPHICAL
Rev Henry Warft Beecher was born in
Litchficld, Conn, eJune "a, 1913. When
quite young he had strong desire for. a
sea-faring life, which he renowned in con-
sequence of deep religious impression ex-
perienced during revival He studied at
the Boston Latin school, in Mount Pleasant
Institute, and graduated at Amherst in
1884. He then studied theology at Lane
Seminary, near Cincinnati, under the tut
ton of his father, Lyman Beecher, then a
noted clergyman, and who at this time was
president of the seminary His first attempt
at preaching was as Presbyterian minister
in LaWrenceburg, Ind, in 1897. 1t was here
ne married Eunice White, daughter of DIR.
ARENAS White, and at once moved to In
dianapolis where he preached until 1917. In
that yen he was called to Plymouth Church,
Brooklyn, \. Y, and almost from the out
set he began to acquire that reputation
which has been maintained for more than
quarter of a century. The church and
congregation, which has been under his
charge, is among the largest in America,
the editicc having a seating capacity of
nearly 5000. Mn Beecher discarded many
of the conventionalitles of the clerical PRO
feSsioIf. In his sermons Mr.. Beecher
always allowed some humor as well as
argument and eXhortatiOn and in the pull
pit he often ventured so near the comic
that laughter was hardly to be restrained.
The cardinal idea of his creed was that
Christianity is not a series of dogmas, phil
osophical or metaphysical, but a rule of
life in every phase. He never hesitated to
discuss from the pulpit the great social
and political crimes of the day, such as
slaveSy, intemperance, avarice, and politi-
cal abuses 1t was in 1878 that Mr. Beecher
ANNOUNCED that he did not believe in the
eternity of punishment. He believed that
all punishment is cautionary and remedial,
and that no greater cruelty could be mag
ined than the continuance of the suffering
eternally after all hope of reformation was
gone In 1882 he and his congregation for
mally withdrew from the association of
Congregational churches on account of this
belief. Mr.. Beecher's theology, under the
law of evolution, changed from the strict
Calvlnism in which he was educated to a
disbelief in the eternity of. future punish
ment- HIS sermons, reported by steno-
graphers, have been printed since 1859, and
for several years formed weekly publica-
ton called the plymouth Pulpit" He
very early became prominent as platform
orato and lecturer. i'll which he had long
and successful career. His lectures came
to be in such demand, even at the high
rate of $500 D night, that he was com.
PEELED to decline numerous offers, as they in.
terfered with his ministerial duties. In
1859 he delivered an grafton at the centeu-
NAL anniversary of Robert Burns, which
is considered one of his most eloquent
efforts. He became member of the Re
publican party ON it's foundation, and deliv-
cred many political sermons from his pull
pits, also addressing political meetings,
especially in 1856, when he took an active
part in the canvass, not only with his pen.
but by addressing mass meetings through.
out the Northern States. During the late
Presidential canvass in 1854 Mr.. BeecheI
supported the Democratic nominee and by
this action lost a number of his political
admirers. In the long conflict with slavery
he was an early and an earnest worker,
and from the pulpit of Plymouth Church
came the severest denunciations of hui
man cbattelhood ever uttered before a
public assembly. In 1863 Mr.. Beechei
visited Europe and addressed large audi
euces in all the principal cities of Greai
Britain on the questions evolved by the
civil war then raging III the United States
with q special view to disabuse the British
public in regard to the issues of the greai
struggle. -
During his life Mr. Baecher wrote for
numerous newspapers, while some of his
sermons and addresses were published il
pamphletsand book form, among them "a
Cissruit of the Continent (1SS4l, ''Th'
Strike and Its Lessons QS7Sl, Notes from
plymouth Pulpit (lS59), Sermons from
Henry Ward Beecher'' QS6S).